Mary began Santa On The West End (SOTWE) over 10 years ago. An idea sparked by a childhood memory of visiting Santa in her small town of Tularosa, NM and growing up as a “less fortunate” child herself.
Her hunger to help other less fortunate children was so strong that it drove her to want to do something about it in her current community. From her childhood memory of visiting Santa, the plans began to unfold.
Over 10 years ago, it began as a small operation out of a nearby local park. Today SOTWE celebrates 10 years and has grown thanks to local sponsors and donors. It’s even expanded to include her hometown of Tularosa, NM which has it’s own movement now and is on it’s 2nd year.
Focusing on the children and their families who struggle with the holiday season and specifically with Christmastime, has been a priority from the beginning. The need to give a spark of joy to many struggling parents and families during a stressful time was too heavy to ignore.
So she created a merry Christmas party for ALL families to enjoy, gifts for families who may not be able to provide them to their children, extra clothing to stay warm and a winter festival of fun for kids to enjoy while they meet and take pictures with Santa!